THERE ARE FEW NEGATIVES IN BATTERY BUSINESS

BOCA RATON -- Scott Henry has tied his future to camcorders, cordless telephones, computers -- and the batteries that make them run.

Henry, owner of D&R; Batteries, said so many electronic devices use batteries to make them convenient and reliable that he got into the battery-packaging business about 10 years ago.

"This battery business came up primarily for the cordless telephone," Henry said. "I saw the cordless sales taking off and thought all those battery packs inside would have to be replaced."

That's where consumers come in. Henry's company does not sell to individuals, but deals with dozens of distributers who do. One of the first things that owners of camcorders and cordless phones find out is that batteries come in a lot more shapes and sizes than they had thought.

The next thing they learn is that replacing all the batteries they need can be expensive. Henry's advice: Get out the telephone book and shop around.

Before buying, consumers should compare prices that manufacturer-authorized dealers charge for batteries, Henry said. Electronics stores, and even department and drug stores, often sell batteries and battery packs cheaper than appliance and specialty stores.

A shopping trip to the Boynton Beach Mall this week found battery prices varied from store to store, but not by much.

A common watch battery (No. 386) that sold for $2.40 at Walgreen's sold for $2.49 at Battery 1 Stop, a specialty booth in the middle of the mall.

Hearing-aid batteries are potential sore spots. Consumers have complained to the Sun-Sentinel that some stores -- especially specialty stores -- charge exorbitantly high prices for hearing-aid batteries. Prices at the Boynton Beach Mall were in line.

The Hearing Center, a store that specializes in hearing aids, sold a three- pack of (No. AC675) hearing-aid batteries for $2.95. Walgreen's, the only other store in the mall that carried hearing-aid batteries, sold a four-pack of those batteries for $4.79.

Other tips:

-- Store batteries at room temperature, the Duracell company advises. Alkaline batteries drain prematurely when stored in a refrigerator or freezer. Years ago, cold temperatures were recommended for storing zinc-carbon batteries.

-- Don't throw batteries into a fire to dispose of them. They can explode.

-- Don't carry batteries in your pockets or try to recharge non-rechargeable batteries. They can leak.

-- Remove batteries from items that you will not use for months at a time. Batteries last longer when stored outside toys, portable stereos and other devices.

-- Don't always hang up your cordless phone after using it. Nickel-cadmium batteries in cordless phones can only be recharged so many times. Believe it or not, it is best to let the batteries in your cordless phone drain for a while before recharging them in the phone's base.

"The best thing is to run those batteries down to zero and then recharge them," Henry said. "The problem is that if you do that with your portable telephone you don't have a telephone for a while."

Along with electronic devices, batteries are growing more and more common as backup electricity sources for laptop, personal and business computers, Henry said.

Power outages have caused some tough lessons to be learned by computer users who lost whatever was on their screens. As a result, many manufacturers use batteries to minimize losses when conventional power fails.

BATTERY FACTS

-- HOW THEY WORK: Batteries are contained chemical reactions. In nickel- cadmium batteries, for example, the compound is always in a low level of reacting. When both ends of the battery are touched, the reaction quickens and an electrical charge results.

-- HOW MANY SIZES: Consumers are familiar mostly with nine-volt, AA, C, D and watch batteries. But batteries come in many more sizes.

-- WHAT CHEMICALS ARE USED: That depends on the battery. Alkaline batteries generally have replaced zinc-carbon versions for most consumer needs. Other cell sources include nickel-cadmium, lithium and lead acid.

-- NOT ALL ARE RECHARGEABLE: Nickel-cadmium and lead acid batteries can be recharged; lithium and alkaline batteries cannot.

-- SHELF LIVES: Alkaline batteries last three to five years on a store shelf. More-expensive lithium batteries last seven to 10 years.

SOURCES: D&R; Batteries, Duracell

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